System and method for determining the position of an elevator car of an elevator installation arranged in a manner movable in an elevator shaft

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (40) and a method for determining a position of an elevator car (14) of an elevator installation (10), which is movably arranged in an elevator shaft (12). The system (40) has a 3D sensor (26), an evaluation unit (30) in communication with the 3D sensor (26) and a marker element (36). The 3D sensor (26) has a plurality of sensor units, and the evaluation unit (30) is configured to determine, by means of measurement data received from the 3D sensor (26), a distance of each sensor unit to a portion of an object detected by the 3D sensor (26) by the sensor unit. The 3D sensor (26) is arranged such that it detects the marker element (36) as an object in a normal mode of the system (40). The evaluation unit (30) is configured to determine a position of the elevator car (14) in the elevator shaft (12) on the basis of the distances of the sensor units (28) to the portions of the object detected by the 3D sensor (26) by the sensor units (28), to continuously perform a check whether the 3D sensor (26) detects the marker element (36, 136) and to bring the system (40) into an error mode as soon as the result of the check is negative.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner that enables it to move within an elevator shaft, and to a method for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner that enables it to move within an elevator shaft. Background Technology

[0002] Elevator equipment is used to transport people and / or goods between floors of a building. For this purpose, at least one elevator car, carrying people and / or goods, moves vertically within an elevator shaft, particularly between floors. Specifically, in order to accurately stop the elevator car on a floor, the position of the elevator car within the elevator shaft must be determined and processed by the elevator controller. The permissible travel range of the elevator car within the elevator shaft can also be ensured simply by monitoring the position of the elevator car, eliminating the need for so-called limit switches installed in the elevator shaft. In this case, it is important to safely and reliably determine the position of the elevator car within the elevator shaft. Such a process is described, for example, in EP 3434634 B1.

[0003] Various systems are known for determining the position of an elevator car within an elevator shaft, and these systems are based on various measurement principles. For example, EP 1390284 B1 describes a system for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner capable of moving within an elevator shaft, wherein a coded band distributed throughout the elevator shaft is scanned and the position of the elevator car is determined based on the read information.

[0004] EP 3452396 B1 describes a system for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner capable of moving within an elevator shaft. The system comprises: a 3D sensor in the form of a 3D camera, an evaluation unit in the form of a computer system, and a marking element in the form of an edge between the shaft wall and the bottom of the shaft. The 3D camera is arranged on the elevator car and has multiple sensor units. The 3D camera is arranged such that it detects the edge and the area surrounding the edge as an object. The computer system is configured to determine, using measurement data received by the 3D camera, the distance from the sensor unit to the portion of the object detected by the 3D camera detected by that sensor unit, and, based on the distance from the sensor unit to the portion of the object detected by the 3D camera detected by that sensor unit, determine the position of the elevator car within the elevator shaft. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is particularly to provide a system and method for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner that allows it to move within an elevator shaft, the system and method being able to determine the position of the elevator car with particular safety and thus enabling particularly safe operation of elevator equipment having the system or using the method.

[0006] The embodiments and examples of the present invention described below also relate to the systems and methods described herein. In other words, features of the reference system mentioned below can also be implemented as method steps, or method steps mentioned below can also be implemented as system features. Therefore, the system is specifically designed and configured such that the system is capable of performing the described methods or is capable of performing the described methods by the system.

[0007] A system according to the invention for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner capable of moving within an elevator shaft comprises: a 3D sensor, an evaluation unit communicating with the 3D sensor, and a marker element. Of the two components, the 3D sensor and the marker element, one is arranged in a manner fixed within the elevator shaft, while the other is arranged on the elevator car. The 3D sensor has multiple sensor units, and the evaluation unit is configured to determine, using measurement data received by the 3D sensor, the distance from each sensor unit to the portion of an object detected by that sensor unit. The 3D sensor is arranged such that it detects the marker element as an object in the system's normal mode. The evaluation unit is configured to determine the position of the elevator car within the elevator shaft based on the distance from each sensor unit to the portion of the object detected by that sensor unit, and to continuously perform checks: whether the 3D sensor has detected the marker element, and if the check is negative, to cause the system to enter an error mode.

[0008] This ensures that the system is in normal mode only when the 3D sensor detects the marker element, and therefore the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft can be reliably determined. Conversely, it ensures that when the 3D sensor does not detect the marker element and therefore the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft cannot be reliably determined, the system immediately enters an error mode. For example, if the orientation of the 3D sensor changes, for example, due to loosening of the fixing, the 3D sensor cannot detect the marker element. Once the system is in an error mode, the operation of the elevator equipment is restricted or completely adjusted. This can be facilitated by the system itself or by control or safety devices of the elevator equipment that are communicatively connected to the system's evaluation unit. For this purpose, in addition to the position of the elevator car, the evaluation unit can also output information, for example, about its current mode (i.e., at least normal mode or error mode). Therefore, this system is part of the elevator equipment safety system. The system design according to the invention meets the requirements of Safety Integrity Level (SIL) SIL-3.

[0009] Aside from the 3D sensor, evaluation unit, and marking element, the system requires no other components installed in the elevator shaft or elevator car. In particular, it eliminates the need for coded tapes distributed throughout the entire elevator shaft. Therefore, the system according to the invention requires very little installation cost.

[0010] The objective is further achieved through a method for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner capable of moving within an elevator shaft, and the aforementioned system for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner capable of moving within an elevator shaft. The evaluation unit determines the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft based on the distance from the sensor unit to the portion of the object detected by the 3D sensor, continuously performing checks: whether the 3D sensor detects a marker element of the elevator car; if the result of the check is negative, the system enters an error mode.

[0011] The 3D sensor and evaluation unit are typically arranged close to each other in space, for example, within a common housing. However, they can also be arranged spatially separate. The evaluation unit may also consist of multiple components or modules that communicate with each other, which may be arranged at least partially at or spaced apart from the 3D sensor. At least one module of the evaluation unit may also be designed as a control device to perform other control tasks within the elevator equipment.

[0012] In particular, the following feasible schemes exist for arranging 3D sensors on one hand and marking elements on the other:

[0013] The 3D sensor is immovably positioned at one end of the elevator shaft, and the marking element is positioned on the side of the elevator car facing the 3D sensor, or...

[0014] The marker element is immovably located at one end of the elevator shaft, and the 3D sensor is arranged on the side of the elevator car facing the marker element.

[0015] Therefore, the marking element or 3D sensor moves along with the elevator car in the elevator shaft, while the corresponding other component is immovable, particularly arranged at one end of the elevator shaft. Since the elevator shaft is primarily vertically oriented, the marking element or 3D sensor is immovably arranged at the lower or upper end of the elevator shaft. It is known here that the marking element or 3D sensor is arranged at what position or height within the elevator shaft. It is also known that the corresponding other component is arranged on the elevator car. Thus, the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft can be determined based on the fixed position of the marking element or 3D sensor in the elevator shaft and based on the distance to the marking element or the area adjacent to the marking element, determined by means of the 3D sensor. For a vertically oriented elevator shaft, the height of the elevator car is determined by its position within the elevator shaft. The position of the elevator car can be determined at any time. It is not necessary to know the previous position of the elevator car.

[0016] 3D sensors and evaluation units are particularly important components of so-called 3D cameras. 3D cameras are readily available on the market at relatively low cost.

[0017] 3D sensors are specifically designed as optical hybrid detectors, also known as PMD sensors (photon hybrid devices), whose operating principle is based on the time-of-flight method. In this case, the 3D camera including the 3D sensor is designed as a so-called time-of-flight camera, or simply a TOF camera. Therefore, the TOF camera, and the system for determining the position of an elevator car in an elevator shaft, has a transmitter for emitting electromagnetic radiation. The 3D sensor is then configured to: determine for each sensor unit the propagation time of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter and reflected by the detected object, and transmit this propagation time to an evaluation unit via the aforementioned communication connection. The evaluation unit is then configured to determine, based on the propagation time, the distance from each sensor unit to the portion of the object detected by the 3D sensor detected by that sensor unit. The 3D sensor can also transmit measurement data to the evaluation unit, and the evaluation unit determines the propagation time and thereby the distance. The propagation time is determined, in particular, by determining the phase shift between the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter and the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the detected object. The 3D sensor may, for example, have multiple TOF distance sensors as described in EP2743724B1, each TOF distance sensor corresponding to a sensor unit.

[0018] 3D sensors can also detect the distance from each sensor unit to the object being measured, depending on the measurement principle. For example, a 3D sensor can be part of a stereo camera or a triangulation system.

[0019] The marking element can be arbitrarily designed, as long as it can be explicitly or uniquely identified by the evaluation unit based on measurement data provided by the 3D sensor. If the 3D sensor has a Time-of-Flight (TOF) sensor, the marking element can, for example, be designed as a reflector to reflect electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter along the direction of the 3D sensor. In this case, the evaluation unit can identify the marking element in the form of a reflector in a way that the reflector reflects much more electromagnetic radiation than its surrounding environment. The reflector, for example, has many small triple mirrors and can be designed as a thin film. Such a reflector is also used, for example, as a so-called laser reflector for reflecting laser beams.

[0020] 3D sensors have multiple sensor units, particularly individual Time-of-Flight (TOF) sensors, arranged in a matrix structure. Here, a sensor unit can also be referred to as a pixel of the 3D sensor. A 3D sensor can, for example, have sensor units of 160x60 or 320x240.

[0021] During installation, the 3D sensors are arranged such that they detect the marker element and the area surrounding it as objects. If this is the case, the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft can be determined, and the system is in normal operation. It is crucial to note that the marker element is detected by the 3D sensors at every possible location within the elevator car, i.e., throughout the entire travel range of the elevator car.

[0022] The evaluation unit is configured to determine the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft based on the distance from the sensor unit to the portion of the object detected by the 3D sensor. The evaluation unit is also configured to continuously perform checks: whether the 3D sensor detects a marker element. For this purpose, the 3D sensor can specifically identify sensor units that have detected marker elements. If the 3D sensor can determine that one or more such sensor units exist, then the 3D sensor has detected a marker element, and the check result is positive. If the 3D sensor cannot determine that such a sensor unit exists, then the 3D sensor has not detected a marker element, and the check result is negative.

[0023] Here, continuous inspection should be understood as: the inspection is performed repeatedly, especially at a pre-defined cycle. The inspection may be performed, for example, at a frequency of 1 to 100 Hz.

[0024] If the inspection result is negative and the 3D sensor does not detect the marker element, the evaluation unit puts the system used to determine the elevator car's position into error mode. The evaluation unit then outputs a corresponding signal or autonomously maintains the elevator equipment in a safe state.

[0025] The sensor unit can identify the marker element in multiple ways. For example, the evaluation unit can identify characteristic distance patterns of the marker element. The marker element can also actively emit electromagnetic radiation detectable by the sensor unit. By evaluating the intensity of the detected radiation, the evaluation unit can determine the sensor unit that detected the marker element.

[0026] To determine the position of the elevator car, the evaluation unit is configured, for example, to determine the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft based on determined distances to the detected object from these sensor units and / or multiple sensor units arranged in an area adjacent to these sensor units. Here, only one sensor unit can detect the marker element. In this case, the evaluation unit can determine the position of the elevator car, for example, based on the determined distance from that sensor unit to the detected object. The evaluation unit can also evaluate measurement data from one or more sensor units adjacent to the said sensor unit. Here, the position of the elevator car can be determined, for example, based on the average of the determined distances from these sensor units to the detected object. Multiple sensor units can also be used to detect the marker element. In this case, the evaluation unit can determine the position of the elevator car, for example, based on the average of the determined distances from these sensor units to the detected object. Sensor units adjacent to the said sensor unit can also be evaluated. For example, one or two rows of sensor units adjacent to the sensor unit that detected the marker element can be evaluated in all directions. It is also feasible that sensor units not directly on the sensor unit that detected the marker element are evaluated, but rather sensor units that are closer to the sensor unit that detected the marker element are evaluated. These sensor units are also arranged in an area adjacent to the sensor unit that detected the marker element. This area does not necessarily have to be directly adjacent to the sensor unit that detected the marker element.

[0027] In the design of this invention, the evaluation unit is configured to perform the aforementioned check in such a way that if the 3D sensor does not detect the marker element within a pre-given, uninterrupted time period, the result of the check is negative. This advantageously avoids the system unnecessarily entering an error mode. The aforementioned time period can be, for example, from 10 ms to 1000 ms.

[0028] In this invention, the marker elements are arranged and have spatial extension to obtain a characteristic distance pattern relative to the 3D sensor. An evaluation unit is then configured to determine the sensor unit that detected the marker elements based on the distance pattern of the marker elements. Therefore, the marker elements can be designed to be particularly simple and inexpensive.

[0029] The marker element can, for example, be designed as a cylindrical geometry with a known height, wherein the axis of rotation of the cylinder is oriented specifically toward the 3D sensor. The characteristic distance pattern is designed such that the distance between the circular faces is smaller than that of their immediate surroundings at the known height of the cylinder. Such a distance pattern can be easily identified by the evaluation unit using known pattern recognition methods. In this case, all sensor units located within the aforementioned circular region will be sensor units that detect the marker element.

[0030] In this invention, the marker element is designed to actively emit electromagnetic radiation. The sensor units of the 3D sensor are then designed to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the marker element. Furthermore, the 3D sensor is designed such that, for each sensor unit, it transmits an intensity parameter characterizing the amount of electromagnetic radiation to an evaluation unit. The evaluation unit is configured to determine the sensor unit that detected the marker element based on the intensity parameter. Thus, the sensor unit that detected the marker element can be determined with particular reliability.

[0031] In this case, the sensor unit is specifically designed as a PMD sensor, which, in addition to detecting the object, can calculate a so-called grayscale value based on the intensity of the detected electromagnetic radiation. This grayscale value is then an intensity parameter characterizing the amount of the electromagnetic radiation, and this intensity parameter is transmitted to the evaluation unit. By emitting the aforementioned electromagnetic radiation through the marker element, the sensor unit detecting the marker element determines the particularly high intensity of the detected electromagnetic radiation, and therefore it can be determined particularly easily by the evaluation unit.

[0032] Here, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the marker element has a wavelength that is the same as or at least similar to that emitted by the transmitter of the TOF camera, which includes a sensor unit. In any case, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the marker element is selected in such a way that it can be detected by the 3D sensor.

[0033] In the design of this invention, the marking element has an LED, particularly an infrared LED. The marking element may also have more than one LED. Because LEDs are inexpensive on the market, the marking element can be designed particularly cost-effectively. The emitter of a TOF camera emits infrared light, particularly in the form of electromagnetic radiation. For this purpose, infrared LEDs, i.e., LEDs that emit infrared light, can be used particularly advantageously. However, LEDs that emit visible light can also be used.

[0034] In this invention, the evaluation unit is configured to determine the positions of the sensor units that detected the marker elements and the elevator car in the elevator shaft based on a defined distance to the detected object and / or to a plurality of sensor units arranged in a region adjacent to the sensor units. This ensures a particularly reliable determination of the elevator car's position.

[0035] Specifically, reflectors that reflect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter toward the 3D sensor are arranged around or adjacent to the marking element. This makes it possible to determine the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft with particular accuracy and reliability.

[0036] The reflector reflects a particularly large amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter of the TOF camera. This allows the distance between the sensor unit of the 3D sensor and the reflector to be determined very accurately and reliably. The reflector may, for example, have a square cross-section and a marker element may be arranged at the center of the cross-section. The reflector may also have a circular or rectangular cross-section, and the marker element may be centrally arranged in said cross-section. The marker element may also be adjacent to the reflector on a known side, and the evaluation unit is configured to determine the position of the elevator car based on the determined distance from the sensor unit that detects the reflector to the object being detected.

[0037] It should be noted that some feasible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to different embodiments of the system according to the invention on the one hand, and to different embodiments of the method according to the invention on the other hand. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these features can be appropriately combined, modified, transferred, or exchanged to achieve other embodiments of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Other advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein identical or functionally identical elements are given the same reference numerals. The drawings are schematic only and not drawn to scale.

[0039] in:

[0040] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an elevator system is shown, which includes a system for determining the position of an elevator car arranged in a manner that allows it to move within the elevator shaft.

[0041] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a 3D sensor with 36 sensor units is shown, and

[0042] Figure 3 A marker element is shown according to an alternative embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0043] according to Figure 1 The elevator equipment 10 has an elevator shaft 12 oriented vertically. An elevator car 14 is arranged within the elevator shaft 12 and is connected to a counterweight 18 in a known manner via a hoisting device 16 in the form of a flexible belt or rope. The hoisting device 16 extends from the elevator car 14 via a drive wheel 20, which can be driven by a drive motor (not shown). With the aid of the drive motor and the hoisting device 16, the elevator car 14 can move up and down within the elevator shaft 12.

[0044] A 3D camera, in the form of a TOF camera 24, is immovably mounted on the ceiling 22 of the elevator shaft 12. The TOF camera 24 includes a transmitter 25 for emitting electromagnetic radiation and a 3D sensor, in the form of a PMD sensor 26. The PMD sensor 26 is located in... Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the PMD sensor in great schematic form; it comprises a total of 36 sensor units 28, arranged in 6 columns af and 6 rows 1-6. The PMD sensor 26 is configured to: determine, for each sensor unit 28, the propagation time of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter 25 and reflected by the object detected by the PMD sensor 26, and transmit this propagation time to the evaluation unit 30 via a communication connection. The evaluation unit 30 is configured to: determine, based on the propagation time, the distance from each sensor unit 28 to the portion of the object detected by the PMD sensor 26 that was detected by that sensor unit.

[0045] The PMD sensor can also transmit measurement data to an evaluation unit, which determines the propagation time and thus the distance. The evaluation unit can also be part of a TOF camera.

[0046] A square-diameter reflector 34 is provided on the car top 32 of the elevator car 14. The reflector 34 is arranged such that it reflects electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter 25 of the TOF-camera 24 back to the TOF-camera 24 and thus to the PMD-sensor 26. A marker element in the form of an infrared LED 36 is centrally arranged in the reflector 34. The infrared LED 36 actively emits electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength similar to that of the transmitter 25 of the TOF-camera 24.

[0047] The TOF camera 24 and the PMD sensor 26 are arranged and oriented during installation in such a way that the PMD sensor 26 detects the infrared LED 36 and at least the area surrounding the infrared LED 36 as objects. It is particularly important to ensure that the infrared LED 36 is detected by the PMD sensor 26 at every possible location of the elevator car 14 in the elevator shaft 12, i.e., across the entire travel range of the elevator car 14.

[0048] To determine the position of the elevator car 14 within the elevator shaft 12, i.e., to determine the height of the elevator car 14 within the elevator shaft 12, the TOF camera 24, and further, the PMD sensor 26, serve at least as an object detection unit on the top 32 of the car, on which reflectors 34 and infrared LEDs 36 are arranged. Based on the propagation time of electromagnetic radiation reflected by the object emitted by the transmitter 25 and detected, the evaluation unit 30 determines, for each sensor unit 28, the distance to the portion of the object detected by the PMD sensor 26 that is detected by the sensor unit 28.

[0049] The sensor unit 28 of the PMD-sensor 26 can also determine a so-called grayscale value based on the intensity of the detected electromagnetic radiation. This intensity is particularly high in the sensor units detecting the infrared-LED 34, causing these sensor units to output particularly high grayscale values. Therefore, the grayscale value can be expressed as an intensity parameter characterizing the amount of electromagnetic radiation detected by the sensor unit.

[0050] The PMD sensor 26 transmits the grayscale value mentioned for each sensor unit 28 and the determined distance to the detected object to the evaluation unit 30. The evaluation unit 30 is configured to: determine the sensor unit 28 for detecting the infrared LED 36 in the first step. For this purpose, the evaluation unit 30 selects the sensor unit 28 with a particularly high grayscale value. Figure 2 In the example shown, these are sensor units c3, c4, d3, and d4 marked with a cross (the letters indicate the columns of the corresponding sensor units in the matrix arrangement of sensor units 28, and the numbers indicate the rows of the corresponding sensor units in the matrix arrangement of sensor units 28). To determine the position of the elevator car 14 in the elevator shaft 12, the evaluation unit 30 determines the average distance 36 of the distances to the dot-marked sensor units b2, c2, d2, e2, b3, b4, b5, c5, d5, e5, e4, and e3 adjacent to the sensor units c3, c4, d3, and d4 that detect the infrared-LEDs. The sensor units b2, c2, d2, e2, b3, b4, b5, c5, d5, e5, e4, and e3 used to determine the position of the elevator car 14 detect all reflectors 34 arranged around the infrared-LEDs 36, which achieves particularly accurate position determination.

[0051] Then, the position of the elevator car 14 is determined based on the average distance, the known position of the PMD sensor 26 in the elevator shaft 12, and the known position of the infrared LED 36 or reflector 34 on the elevator car 14. The evaluation unit 30 transmits the position of the elevator car 14 to the elevator controller 38, which is used by the evaluation unit to control the drive motor.

[0052] Therefore, the system 40 for determining the position of the elevator car 14, which is movably arranged in the elevator shaft 12, has a 3D sensor in the form of a PMD sensor 26, an evaluation unit 30 that maintains a communicative connection with the PMD sensor 26, and a marker element in the form of an infrared LED 36.

[0053] The evaluation unit can also determine the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft based on the sensor units c3, c4, d3, and d4 that detect the infrared-LEDs. A small gap, for example, one sensor unit's distance, can be left between the sensor units c3, c4, d3, and d4 that detect the infrared-LEDs and the sensor unit used to determine the position of the elevator car. Therefore, the evaluation unit uses sensor units a1-f1, f2-f5, a6-f6, and a2-a5, which are completely arranged at the edges of the PMD-sensor 26, to determine the position of the elevator car.

[0054] The reflector can also be used as a marking element. The evaluation unit can then use the aforementioned grayscale values ​​to determine the sensor unit that detected the marking element, since the reflector will reflect a particularly large amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter back to the PMD-sensor.

[0055] Marking elements can also be such as Figure 3 The ground shown is designed as a cylinder 136 with a known height, wherein the axis of rotation 142 of the cylinder 136 is oriented towards... Figure 3 The orientation of the PMD sensor is not shown. The marker element, in the form of a cylinder 136, does not emit any electromagnetic radiation. Due to the cylindrical design of the marker element, when detected by the PMD sensor, the marker element produces a characteristic distance pattern in the form of a circular surface. Based on known distances, the distance from the marker element to the PMD sensor, with the known height 136 of the cylinder, is smaller than the distance to its immediate vicinity. Such a distance pattern can be easily identified by the evaluation unit using known pattern recognition methods. In this case, all sensor units located within the mentioned circular area will be the sensor units that detected the marker element.

[0056] The TOF camera can also be positioned at the bottom of the shaft, and the marking element can be positioned at the bottom of the elevator car. Alternatively, the TOF camera can be positioned on the elevator car, and the marking element can be positioned in a way that prevents it from moving within the elevator shaft.

[0057] In addition to the described method for determining the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft, the evaluation unit 30 performs a check at a determinable frequency of, for example, 20 Hz: whether the 3D-sensor 26 detects the marker element 36. According to the above process, the 3D-sensor checks whether at least one sensor unit 28 detects the marker element 36. If at least one sensor unit 28 detects the marker element 36, the result of the check is positive. If no sensor unit 28 detects the marker element 36 within a continuous time period of, for example, 150 ms, the result of the check is negative.

[0058] If the inspection result is positive, system 40 is in normal mode, and evaluation unit 30 transmits the specific position of elevator car 12 and information about its normal mode to elevator controller 38 and safety device 39 of elevator equipment 10. In this case, safety device 39 allows operation of elevator equipment 10, and elevator car 12 can move in the elevator shaft according to the rules of elevator controller 38.

[0059] If the check result is negative, the evaluation unit 30 immediately puts the system 40 into error mode. Then, the evaluation unit 30 transmits information about its error mode to the elevator controller 38 and the safety device 39 of the elevator equipment 10. As a result, the safety device 39 immediately interrupts the operation of the elevator equipment 10, and the elevator car 12 can no longer move in the elevator shaft.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having" or "comprising" do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "one" do not exclude multiple. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other above embodiments. Reference numerals in the claims should not be considered limiting.

Claims

1. A system for determining the position of an elevator car (14) of an elevator system (10) arranged in a manner capable of moving within an elevator shaft (12), the system comprising: 3D sensor (26). An evaluation unit (30) that maintains communication with the 3D sensor (26), and Marking elements, in, Of the two components, the 3D sensor (26) and the marker element, one component is arranged in a non-movable manner in the elevator shaft (12), and the other component is arranged on the elevator car (14). The 3D sensor (26) has multiple sensor units (28), and the evaluation unit (30) is configured to determine, by means of measurement data received from the 3D sensor (26), the distance from each sensor unit (28) to the portion of the object detected by the 3D sensor (26) that is detected by the sensor unit (28). The 3D sensor (26) is arranged such that it detects the marker element as an object in the normal mode of the system (40), and The evaluation unit (30) is configured to: Based on the distance from sensor unit (28) to the portion of the object detected by 3D sensor (26) detected by sensor unit (28), the position of elevator car (14) in elevator shaft (12) is determined. Its features are, The evaluation unit (30) is configured to: Continuous checks are performed: whether the 3D sensor (26) detects the marker element, and If the result of the above check is negative, the system (40) will enter error mode.

2. The system according to claim 1, Its features are, The evaluation unit (30) is configured to perform the above check in such a way that if the 3D sensor (26) does not detect the marker element during a continuous time period of a predetermined duration, the result of the above check is negative.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, The system (40) has a transmitter (25) for emitting electromagnetic radiation, and a 3D sensor (26) is configured to: for each sensor unit (28), determine the propagation time of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter (25) and reflected by the detected object, and The evaluation unit (30) is configured to determine, based on the propagation time, the distance from each sensor unit (28) to the portion of the object detected by the 3D sensor (26) that was detected by the sensor unit (28).

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, The arrangement of the marker elements and their spatial extension enable the generation of a characteristic distance pattern relative to the 3D sensor (26), and The evaluation unit (30) is configured to determine the sensor unit (28) that detects the marker element based on the distance pattern of the marker element.

5. The system according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, The marking element is designed to actively emit electromagnetic radiation. The sensor unit (28) of the 3D sensor (26) is designed to enable the sensor unit to detect electromagnetic radiation emitted by the marker element. The 3D sensor (26) is designed to transmit intensity parameters characterizing the amount of electromagnetic radiation to the evaluation unit (30) for each sensor unit (28), and The evaluation unit (30) is configured to determine the sensor unit (28) for detecting the marker element based on the intensity parameters.

6. The system according to claim 5, Its features are, The marking element has an LED.

7. The system according to claim 6, Its features are, The LED is designed to be an infrared LED.

8. The system according to claim 2, Its features are, The evaluation unit (30) is configured to: Determine which sensor units (28) detect the marker element, and The position of the elevator car (14) in the elevator shaft (12) is determined based on the determined distance to the object being detected by these sensor units (28) and / or based on the determined distance to the object being detected by multiple sensor units (28) arranged in the area adjacent to these sensor units (28).

9. The system according to claim 8, Its features are, A reflector (34) is arranged around or adjacent to the marker element to reflect electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitter (25) toward the 3D sensor (26).

10. An elevator device having a system (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A method for determining the position of an elevator car (14) of an elevator installation (10) arranged in a movable manner in an elevator shaft (12) with the system (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The evaluation unit (30): Based on the distance from sensor unit (28) to the portion of the object detected by 3D sensor (26) detected by sensor unit (28), the position of elevator car (14) in elevator shaft (12) is determined. Continuous checks are performed: whether the 3D sensor (26) detects the marker element, and If the result of the above check is negative, the system (40) will enter error mode.

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